Eko Prasetyo, Hunainah Hunainah, Rachmat Maulana

The Urgency of Enhancing Village Fund Governance in Serang Regency

Introduction

The urgency of enhancing village fund governance in serang regency. Urgent improvement needed for village fund governance in Serang Regency. This study identifies low HR quality, transparency, and weak empowerment, pushing for better administration.

Abstract

The Law No. 6 of 2014 concerning Villages grants villages the authority to govern themselves, and the government allocates village funds for their implementation. In Serang Regency, there are issues regarding the ineffective governance of village funds, characterized by the low quality of human resources for public services, lack of transparency and accountability, and insufficient community empowerment programs. This study aims to emphasize the urgency of improving the governance of village funds towards better governance in Serang Regency. The research adopts a qualitative descriptive method. Key informants come from relevant agencies in Serang Regency, the Inspectorate, and civil society organizations, with information gathered through observations and focused group discussions. The research findings indicate that only the dimensions of resource management and governance process are categorized as sufficient, while decision-making, collaboration with the private sector, and other governance principles still need improvement. Based on the research findings, it can be concluded that the governance of village funds in Serang Regency requires urgent strengthening.

Review

This paper addresses a highly pertinent issue in Indonesian local governance: the effectiveness of village fund management within Serang Regency. Leveraging Law No. 6 of 2014 as its foundational context, the study clearly identifies critical weaknesses in current governance practices, including deficiencies in human resource quality, transparency, accountability, and community empowerment programs. The stated objective to emphasize the "urgency" of improving these mechanisms towards better overall governance is both timely and essential, given the significant resources allocated to villages and their potential for local development. The chosen qualitative descriptive methodology, drawing insights from a diverse set of key informants, suggests a grounded approach to understanding the complexities of local implementation. A strength of the research lies in its specific regional focus, which allows for a nuanced exploration of governance challenges often lost in broader analyses. The differentiation in findings, noting that dimensions of resource management and governance processes are "sufficient" while others like decision-making and private sector collaboration require significant improvement, provides valuable granularity. However, the abstract could benefit from a clearer articulation of the analytical framework used to categorize these "dimensions" and what precisely constitutes the "other governance principles" needing improvement. While the abstract successfully conveys the problem and its urgency, it would be strengthened by a brief indication of potential pathways or categories of recommendations derived from the findings, even if only in broad strokes, to guide the "strengthening" it advocates. Overall, the study makes a relevant contribution by providing localized empirical evidence on the implementation gaps in village fund governance, serving as a critical assessment for Serang Regency. Its findings underscore the ongoing challenges faced by decentralized administrations in operationalizing national mandates for local development. By highlighting the "urgent strengthening" required, the paper serves as an important call to action for local authorities, the Inspectorate, and civil society organizations in Serang. This research can therefore inform targeted policy interventions and capacity-building initiatives aimed at fostering more transparent, accountable, and ultimately effective village fund management, thereby contributing to the broader discourse on good governance at the sub-national level.

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